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The Myall Creek Massacre Memorial 2026
As part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, we send a delegation of staff to represent Rous at the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial. The memorial offers a powerful example of how reconciliation can meaningfully help community healing. The Myall Creek Massacre On 10th June, 1838, 12 men, including settlers and convict workers, massacred 30 Wirrayaraay people at Myall Creek. While this was one of more than 430 documented massacres (and countless other undocumented massacres) across the country, the Myall Creek massacre stands out because it was the first and only time the murderers were held accountable and punished for their actions. The Myall Creek massacre was the first and only time the colonial administration intervened to ensure the laws of the colony were applied equally to Aboriginal people and settlers involved in frontier violence. The subsequent court cases and the hanging deaths of seven settlers for their role in the massacre was the first time Europeans were executed for the massacre of Aboriginal people. A new path forward Just as remarkable as the judicial accountability is the act of reconciliation that started in the year 2000. 162 years after the massacre, descendants of the massacre victims and survivors, and descendants of the perpetrators came together to create the Myall Creek Memorial Committee and open the Myall Creek Memorial. The families descended from both sides of the massacre wanted to come together in an act of reconciliation and solidarity to acknowledgment the truth and pain of their shared history. It is this accountability and eagerness to reconcile the atrocities of the past that make the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial so special and the reason we continue making the journey there each year.Myall Creek Massacre Memorial 2026
Myall Creek Massacre Memorial 2026 Journey 3Insights from the 2026 Journey This year, six people represented Rous – Andrew Logan, Julie Davies, Will Jones, Gus Marotte and his son, Hannah McAlister and her family, and Greg Telford and his wife. Some of our representatives share their experience and insights below.Hannah McAlister Customer Service & Accounts Team As we drove south, the land around us was dry, with farmland stretching out on either side. In the distance, we noticed a paddock filled with cars and a tin shed hall, marking the place where everyone was gathering across the road was the house and the farm where the massacre happened. Arriving and Paying Respects When we arrived, we paid our respects to those who made the journey before us and to those who formed the group. We had all come together with the shared purpose of honouring the Ancestors. Walking to the Memorial We walked together as a group towards the memorial site, with Barb and Greg Telford holding hands along the way. The walk was long, but it was also refreshing to be surrounded by bushland, with the dirt beneath our feet. At the Memorial Site When we reached the memorial site, we sat together in a circle. In the background, I could hear people speaking about how terrible the events were, expressing their sorrow and reflecting on how many stories remain untold. We all did a minute of silence in the memory of those who suffered and died at Myall Creek. Walking to Memorial Rock I always find the smoking ceremony moving, especially the ochre placed on our foreheads. There is something powerful about being surrounded by nature’s beauty in that moment. As we walked to each stone, children from the surrounding schools shared the story of what happened. The further we walked, the more intense and emotional the experience became. We gathered together at Memorial Rock, looking down over the land where the massacre occurred. It was difficult to stand there and understand that something so brutal and heartbreaking happened just down the hill. Reflection and Moving Forward What I took from this experience is the importance of acknowledging the past and mistakes that have been made. By coming together now, we have an opportunity to build understanding, create change, and work together towards a better future.
Myall Creek Massacre Memorial 2026 Journey 4Greg Telford Catchment & Cultural Awareness Team I am always touched by the respect that all who attend the gathering have for one another. It was mentioned that to understand the trauma these people went through the day of the massacre, you probably need to have experienced a little trauma yourself. Having time outside of work with my colleagues creates a stronger connection that can benefit us all at work and at home as we are reminded that we have more similarities than differences when it comes to family and showing up each day for work. This is my fourth visit to the memorial and at each gathering where the victim’s descendants and perpetrator descendants come together and cuddle, I cry. How could I not cry witnessing such an authentic and meaningful act of reconciliation. Gus Marotte Weed Biosecurity Team I’d like to thank Rous for making this event accessible. It was a valuable opportunity to participate and share the experience with colleagues and individuals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting Australia’s multicultural community. The most impactful moment for me was the minute of silence (observed twice). It provided a chance to pause, be present, and fully appreciate the significance of the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial. It was a meaningful time for reflection on who we are as individuals and how we can contribute positively to reconciliation. Julie Davies People and Culture Team I loved joining colleagues, community, descendants, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris and other local and cabinet signatories and the fabulous committee and working party for the Myall Creek memorial. The entire memorial was deeply moving, and these are some of the moments that had a truly lasting impact on me. At one of the addresses lead by the lead aboriginal dancer he stated, “it’s not what your brain tells you, it’s what your heart feels.” “We are not here by accident but here by appointment.” Spirits are free not in the commemoration of something dead but something free. Attendees are testament that, Myall Creek is a living place. As you walk the pilgrimage from memorial to the hill you as attendees will be changed. Myall Creek is a spiritual journey with 2 stories: Massacre truth telling Healing and reconciliation Trauma was referred to as “the restless wanderer on the Earth”.
Will Jones Rural Flood Mitigation Team Hannah bought her partner, her son and younger sister, while Gus came with his son. Together with Julie Davies, Andrew Logan, Greg Telford and his wife Barb, there was a natural sense of family and togetherness within our group. The drive out The conversation was reserved as we drove out to the Memorial. The sky was clear, not a breath of wind as we passed through rolling hills of farmland, in the distance, a paddock full of cars appeared, a simple building of corrugated iron, bordered by two peppercorn trees and people coming together. The welcome We gathered in a semi-circle facing a lectern in front of the community hall. The mood was sombre. I took a seat next to a woman, we exchanged formalities, then a simple question; what brings you here today? "I am a descendant of one of the perpetrators", she said without hesitation, but with a quiet heaviness. The walk "You were called to be here today," these words from the welcome address resonated in my mind as we walked in small groups along a fire trail winding up a hill, conscious of the atrocities that occurred on this land not that long ago. The track meandered past gum trees and birds singing, leading us to the Yarning Circle. The storytelling In the sandstone amphitheatre of the Yarning Circle, Auntie Sue Blacklock, Elder and descendant of the survivors, took to the lectern to share the story of the horrors endured, and the strength and power of the Aboriginal People through to reconciliation. The story telling continued through dance, as the Gomeroi dancers showed how their history and strength, once fragmented by past events, never left them. The healing Traditional ochre smeared on our foreheads, we received cleansing through a smoking ceremony then made our way in introspective silence down to the Memorial Rock. We gathered as part of the healing. Descendants of the survivors and descendants of the perpetrators embraced – a powerful act of accountability and forgiveness. Committed to work together for a better future, we returned to our families, work colleagues and friends to share the learnings from Myall Creek. To those whose lives were taken, we remember them.Myall Creek Massacre Memorial 2026 Journey 5